These chocolate chip cookies are almost identical to those sold at Mrs Fields cookie stores. My first taste of Mrs Fields cookies was when they had an outlet at Wynyard Station back in the early 1980’s and it was also my first taste of home style cookies. So yummy, gooey and fresh, they were sold on weight and were quite expensive; two cookies would set me back about $2 which was a lot of money to a Uni student back then. Fast forward a few years and I was given this choc chip cookie recipe by a work colleague. In the early 1990’s, I was on maternity leave and decided to try the recipe. The cookies were in instant hit with us and, for me, brought back almost forgotten memories of Mrs Fields’s cookies. The secret is the addition of bicarbonate of soda which softens up the texture of the cookies, something like a cross between a brownie and a biscuit is the best way than I can describe it. I have accidently omitted the soda during a few bakings and the texture, taste and appearance is just not the same. Soda usually has a unpleasant taste but only a small amount is used in this recipe and the brown sugar and vanilla disguises much of the taste.

Sift flour with salt and bicarbonate of soda. Add to the creamed mixture in small batches – about ½ a cup each time. Beat well until incorporated. If the mixture starts to get too stiff for the beaters, use a wooden spoon.

Add chocolate chips and mix until evenly distributed throughout the mixture.

Roll tablespoons of the mixture into balls and place onto baking trays. Make sure there is room for the cookies to spread.

Place in oven and bake for 18mins. The biscuits will be just hard on the surface but soft within. Remove from oven and leave on baking trays for about 10 mins to finish the baking process. These cookies don’t rise much as they don’t have a raising agent.

Enjoy with a cuppa.

Variations - you can omit the choc chips and use the mixture as a basic butter biscuit base. Add spices such as cinnamon and nutmeg to make spice biscuits.